Human Rights Watch slammed Bahrain for revoking nationality of top Shia cleric, Sheikh Issa al-Qassem, stressing that the authorities in Manama should reverse the arbitrary decision.

Human Rights Watch slammed Bahrain for revoking nationality of top Shia cleric, Sheikh Issa al-Qassem, stressing that the authorities in Manama should reverse the arbitrary decision.

"Bahraini authorities should reverse their decision to arbitrarily strip the citizenship of a senior cleric. They should also immediately release a prominent rights activist jailed on June 13, on charges that clearly violate freedom of expression," HRW said on Wednesday.

"Bahrain’s government and ruling family are slamming shut the door on political reform, while simultaneously stoking dissent," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director.

Meanwhile, Stork said that Manama allies should condemn the move.
"Bahrain’s allies in Washington and London should be unequivocal and public in their condemnation and make it clear that these provocations will have an impact on military assistance and strategic relations."

The New York based group also denounced the detention of rights activists Nabeel Rajab and the “expedited” ruling to close the headquarters of prominent opposition group, al-Wefaq.

"On June 21, a public prosecutor extended the detention of Nabeel Rajab, the rights activist, for eight days. He faces charges of “spreading false news…in a bid to discredit Bahrain” under article 134 of the penal code. The authorities have not made clear what comments form the basis for the charges," the watchdog said on Rajab's detention.

 “The authorities clearly intend to punish Nabeel Rajab by isolating him as if he were a dangerous criminal, and in degrading conditions,” Stork said.

Since the beginning of 2015, authorities have stripped more than 200 Bahrainis of their citizenship, leaving many of them stateless. They include more than 30 human rights defenders, political activists, journalists, doctors, and religious scholars, as well as people convicted of terrorism and others who have fought for the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

Article 29 of the Arab Charter on Human Rights, which Bahrain has ratified, states that “Every person has the right to a nationality, and no citizen shall be deprived of his nationality without a legally valid reason.”

“It will not be difficult for historians to pinpoint the escalation of abuses that marked the end of Bahrain’s claim that it has any regard for fundamental rights,” Stork said.